


Under The Red Hood: The Fallen Grayson

by Mykael



Category: Under the Red Hood, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Anti-Hero, Anxiety Attacks, Crimes & Criminals, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Multiple Personalities, Organized Crime, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Resurrection, Vigilantism, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-11-06 20:03:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11043330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mykael/pseuds/Mykael
Summary: While investigating Ra's Al Ghul's activities in Bosnia, the Joker makes and appearance and the Dynamic Duo give chase. However, things take a dark turn and Robin is brutally murdered by the Joker. Five years later and a new vigilante shows up in Gotham, one who doesn't shy away from lethal force; The Red Hood. And the Red Hood is driven by one, singular purpose.RevengeRevenge against his killer, and revenge against the man he called 'father'. The man who allowed his death to go unpunished.





	1. The Red Hood

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Nightwing: Under the Red Hood](https://archiveofourown.org/works/800381) by [CanaryCry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanaryCry/pseuds/CanaryCry). 



> And so the series has returned at last! Well, sort of! For those wondering, I took it down because I kept wanting to make all sorts of changes to it, but I didn't know where to being. xD So I decided to take it down and start from scratch. Alas, I procrastinated for so long that I couldn't remember how I wanted to start the series again, so it took even longer. But here it is, once again. Originally inspired by CanaryCry's _amazing_ Dick Grayson: Murder Victim series, I'd been wanting to write my own "Dick Grayson is the Red Hood" type story long before I read it, but I never had the courage to actually do it, because...well...I was afraid it would suck, LOL. Irony, right? xP. Cry's story was so good it actually inspired me to give it a whirl, but I rushed it, and it came out rather shitty (in my opinion xD ). 
> 
> I also once promised in my Arkham's Red Hood series that you guys would have some say in how the story goes...well, that didn't pan out too well, mostly because I forgot, lol. But this time, definitely. Drop your thoughts in the comments and who knows. Maybe something one of you suggest might slink into the story or series somewhere. ;D Anywho, without further ado, I give you _Under The Red Hood: The Fallen Grayson_

_Falling...falling...falling...there was a cold room...he was bound...a laugh that chilled his blood..._

_“Oh who knew the littler bird could sing!” the Joker said, swinging the crowbar at the bound Robin. Robin grunted at the crow bar struck, gasping for breath as he rolled over on his back, blood dripping from his nose and mouth. “Sing for me again, bird boy! Ehhehehehehee!” the Joker cackled, taking a few more swings. Robin grunted, trying to ignore the pain as he pushed himself into a sitting position. His jaw ached and his ribs were screaming. He took a few deep breaths and looked up through the skylight above, imagining the bat symbol in the sky...Batman would come for him...would save him...and the Joker would be brought to Justice again. He knew it, felt it._

_Robin chuckled to himself and the Joker grinned wider._

_“Joke's on you, clown. Batman will be here soon,” Robin choked out, coughing a bit and spitting blood onto the floor. The Joker laughed and approached Robin, tapping the crowbar against his hand._

_“Well ya know what they say; can't kill a bat without breaking a few birds first!” Joker taunted, followed by another laugh as he swung the crowbar, striking Robin's jaw and sending him crashing against the floor._

_“I don't know what hurts more” Robin ground out, pushing himself into a sitting position again. “Your jokes or your sad attempt at torture.” The Joker let out another laugh._

_“Aw, you're no fun! Physical humor not your thing?” The Joker asked with a wide grin, cocking his head to the side. “Well how're you feeling? Does it hurt when I do this?” The Joker asked, slamming the crowbar on Robin's arm. Robin growled in pain, followed by a yell as another blow followed, breaking the bone._

_“Tell me what hurts more: A or B?” Joker asked, another two blows following. “Backhand of forehand?” Another two blows...blood...agony...regret...the assault continued and soon the Joker was gone, his laughing echoing in Robin's ears. He saw the bomb, saw the numbers counting down. He closed his eyes...his last thoughts echoing through his mind...Wally..._

_There was an explosion...ears ringing...then...darkness...he was falling...falling into darkness..._

Dick Grayson slowly opened his eyes, laying outstretched on a bed in one of his safe houses. Another episode of insomnia, going on day three now where he hadn't slept a wink. The nightmares, waking or asleep, always began to same way; trapped in that cold little shack, bound and beaten, followed by darkness...It was hard to find sleep when he found himself back in that little shack every time he closed his eyes. He'd learned to live with it, but he hated it; between insomnia, waking up in a panic, looking over his shoulder every time the lights even dimmed...sometimes he wondered if he had been better off...

Heaving a sigh, the young raven-haired man pulled himself out of bed and grabbed his jacket, kicking on his shoes, and grabbing up the keys to his motorcycle. He glanced over at the clock; it was four in the morning, and he hadn't slept a wink in three days. Well, there was nothing to be done about it and he'd stayed here long enough, he decided. 

Dick grabbed up some gear and a duffel bag, and left his safe house, making his way over to his bike. His mind went back to Wally...or, more specifically, the last night they'd spent together.

_Dick and Wally were at the manor playing video games in Dick's room. It had taken a good month of prodding and persuasion from Dick to allow Wally to come over, especially considering he told Bruce that he'd already told Wally. To say Bruce was displeased was a huge understatement. But Dick continued to press the man until he finally gave in. And now, here they were._

_“Hey Walls, what's that?” Dick asked, nodding toward the corner of the room. Wally, concentrated on beating down Dick's character, fell for the oldest trick in the book, and looked._

_'What's—oh hey!” Wally gasped, turning his attention back to the screen, having caught on to Dick's trick a moment too late. Dick cackled mischievously as he took advantage of Wally's distraction and beat down his character, claiming victory._

_“I win again!” Dick cheered, throwing his arms up in victory. Wally frowned and playfully shoved Dick onto the bed._

_“Dude, you're such a cheat!” Wally called with a laugh. Dick stuck out his tongue and laughed, shoving him back, and it quickly devolved into a little wrestling match. Of course, Wally was clearly outmatched, but he knew Dick well, and took advantage of a few, little known things about the younger teen, managing to pin him on the bed beneath him. Wally grinned like the devil, pinning his arms above his head and sticking out his tongue._

_“Haha, I win,” he teased. Dick snickered in amusement and then did something totally unexpected; he leaned up and kissed Wally. Wally was taken aback by the sudden move and his grip on Dick's wrists weakened. Dick took advantage and flipped their positions, pinning Wally beneath him now._

_“I win again,” Dick said with a mischievous smirk. Wally looked up at Dick, his expression blank and his face still pink. Dick's smirk faded as their eyes met, and something even more unexpected happened...Wally kissed him. Dick was surprised, but he didn't pull away. The kiss lasted for a few moments, slow and tentative. When they pulled away from each other, there was a long, awkward silence. The two of them avoided eye contact for a time, looking awkwardly around the room, unsure of what to say to each other. Then, Wally felt a hand on his._

_“So...seems pretty obvious we like each other more than friends,” Dick said with a wicked smirk. The tension started to melt, and Wally grinned from ear to ear._

_“So how about the first Saturday? After you get back from your mission? Say, eight o'clock?” Wally asked with a shrug. Dick chuckled in amusement and grabbed up his controller._

_“Sounds like a date. But first-” Dick said, initiating another match “-a rematch!”_

_“Oh dude, this one is mine!”_

Wally was the last person he'd thought of before...before he died. Sometimes, in the few moments of peace his mind and body allowed him, he let himself think about what could have been. He had been robbed of the chance to find out, and now he was certain that he never would. But every time he thought about Wally, his heart ached. He never got the chance to tell Wally how he really felt; another thing he'd been robbed of. 

Dick huffed in annoyance at himself, starting up his bike. He couldn't let himself get emotional now, not for what he had planned. There was no time for regrets now. He wanted justice, he wanted revenge. Bruce taught him never to kill, taught him the difference between vengeance and justice, but death had a funny way of changing one's priorities, of making you see 'the light'. 

There are many ways to help people; sometimes you help people as best you can, and sometimes...bad people need to be put down. Because for all the talk of morality and justice, some people were beyond redemption. And there was only one way to stop people like that...only one way to stop the Joker. Dick opened his duffel bag and pulled from it, a blood red mask.

 _“Time to get to work, kid,”_ a voice echoed in his head. Dick glared down at the red mask for a few moments longer before donning it and revving his bike. It was time for the Red Hood's work to begin...

._._._._.

Seven men and a woman sat around a table, surrounded by heavily armed body guards, in a chilly, dimly lit warehouse. The room was thick with the smell of tobacco smoke and the weight of anxiety. The seven of them were arguing, not one of them seemingly aware of who brought them together or why. Tensions started to rise, and tempers along with it.

“You didn't set this up? Then whose party is this?” Leon growled, pointing at Freddy accusingly. Freddy snorted and leaned forward, glaring back at Leon.

“Don't look at me. I thought it was you east-side losers. You already rolled over for Black Mask. Figured you were gonna ask us in.” The heavyset black man beside him, Tyler Bramford, snorted derisively.

“Rolled over?! The Mask killed six of my crew in the last six months! Six! They were some of my best men! And you think I just rolled over?!” Tyler snapped. Freddy growled and crossed his arms over his chest, patience wearing thin.

“If you didn't set this up, then who did?!”

“I thought it was Chi Chi,” Tyler put in, gesturing to the man with the bandanna beside him. Chi Chi shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

“Wasn't my idea. I thought Queenie set this up,” Chi Chi responded, pointed across the table at the young woman in the blue suit and gold jewelry. Queenie snorted, smacking the man smoking the cigarette beside him.

“Put that shit out. You blow that smoke in my face again and even the coroner won't be able to identify you,” Queenie hissed, waving the smoke out of her face. “And no, I didn't set this shit up. You crazy? You're all a pack of losers,” Queenie snorted. Freddy slammed his hands on the table and glared at each of the other crime lords.

“That's it. I'm outta here. You brainless losers wanna play Clue, be my guest. I got better things to-”

“Sit down Freddy,” came a voice from the catwalks above. The eight Crime Lords looked up toward it's source to see a man in a black jacket, black paramilitary pants, boots and gloves looking down at them. He was armed with an assault rifle and wore a blood red helmet.

“Who the fuck are you?!” Freddy snapped. The man in the red helmet snorted and leaned against the railing.

“Me? I'm your new boss. You can call me the Red Hood,” the young man replied. The eight crime lords exchanged looks and then laughed.

“Yeah, I don't think so. Smoke this kid,” Queenie said, the eight of them pulling out hand guns. They didn't get a shot off before Red Hood pointed his gun and fired off several rounds. The Crime Lords and their body guards dived out of the way and took cover. When the gun fire died down, they got back to their feet and Freddy shot him a glare.

“You wanna die?! There's easier ways to kill yourself!”

“Yeah, like threatening the guy carrying the AK-47,” Hood replied with a derisive laugh. He turned around and hefted up a duffel bag, tossing it onto the table below. “Like I said, I'm you're new boss, whether you like it or not.” Freddy reached for the bag, the other lords watching apprehensively as he opened it.  
Chi Chi fell to his knees and threw up, and Tyler could only stare in shock.

“Damn...”

“Those are the heads of your lieutenants. I did that in two hours. Imagine what I could do with a whole evening.” Hood pointed his gun again and fired off a few more rounds, causing the Crime Lords to shrink back. “I'm not asking. I'm telling. Now, a few ground rules-” Hood began. He leaned against the railing again and cleared his throat.  
“You go about your business and kick up forty percent to me. In return, you will have my full protection from both Black Mask and Batman.” Hood glared a down at them, waving his gun, pointing it at each of them in turn. “But you stay away from school yards and children. If I catch you dealing to kids-” Hood fired at the duffel bag, the Crime Lords shrinking back again “you'll end up like your friends there. Am I clear?”

The Crime Lords exchanged glances and a silence settled over the room as they contemplated the offer they'd just received. Red Hood waited patiently for their answer, whistling a tune to himself while he leaned against the railing nonchalantly, eyes glued on the thugs below. But his attention was soon drawn to the skylight above, to the Bat symbol that shown in the night sky...his eyes narrowed as he glared at briefly, his attention drawn back to the Crime Lords below.

“Alright. You've got a deal...boss,” said Queenie, crossing her arms over her chest. The other Crime Lords exchanged a few quick glances before nodding in agreement.

“So long as you can actually keep Black Mask and Batman off us,” Tyler added in, pointing up at the Red Hood. Hood scoffed, followed by an amused laugh. He waved his gun toting hand dismissively, firing rounds at the skylight above. The Crime Lords flinched, the glass raining down from above.

“Oh don't worry. Black Mask won't be a problem,” Hood said out loud. “And if things go my way, neither will Batman,” he muttered to himself, eyes narrowing on the Bat symbol again.


	2. Moving On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Wally watched the footage, he watched Bruce engaged the Red Hood. Something about it seemed...familiar...as the Red Hood dodged and deflected Batman's blows with an acrobatic grace and elegance that he hadn't seen in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ho hum, sorry for the delay. Some family stuff came up + I've been doing a bit of plotting ahead. Hit some snags in the plot for later on and started trying to work those out. Met with limited success. x) The chapters will probably come out a lot more slowly than they did last time, as I take greater care and plotting with each one this time around. ~_~
> 
> This chapter ultimate remained mostly intact, but I altered some bits, went for significantly more "cloak and dagger" here. Enjoy. :D  
> EDIT: and yes, that's Romanian, not Romani. Looked everywhere for a translator for Romani and turned up nothing. x_x

It was late at night, almost eight pm, when Wally got out of his night classes at Central City College. It was one of many he'd applied to when he turned sixteen and had been accepted once he graduated High School. And just like his uncle, he decided to take up Forensic Sciences, but also added Criminology, and Crime Scene Investigation to that list. 

Wally whistled a tune to himself as he drove back to Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris' house. Barry and Iris welcomed him into their home with their arms wide open, so now he was living with them while he saved up some money to try and get a place of his own. Sure he could run all the way back and get home in a flash (god he was spending way too much time with his uncle), but driving provided a bit of normalcy to his life that he'd been sorely missing. He'd outgrown Kid Flash and decided to try and live a normal life for a change. Having a car, he found, wasn't that bad. In fact, he found he rather enjoyed driving. 

Wally pulled up into the drive way, parking right beside his aunt's car. He turned the car off and pocketed the keys, grabbing up his side bag and making his way inside. Immediately after opening the door, he was pounced upon by a white pit bull, tail wagging and whining and begging for attention. Wally laughed and knelt down, rubbing the dog's ears affectionately. 

“Hey Brucely, good to see you too boy!” Wally said with a laugh as the dog licked his face. “Aunt Iris, Uncle Barry, I'm home!” Wally called, kicking the door closed. The red head kicked off his shoes at the door and padded into the kitchen with Brucely hot on his heels, dropping the bag over the back of the couch. He found Barry and Iris there, at the kitchen table, each of them holding an infant and feeding them with a bottle. Dawn and Don Allen, the Allen Twins, just as predicted by Bart after he came from the future.

“Oh hi Wally, welcome home, honey!” Iris said cheerily. Barry, who had Don in his arms, got up and started rocking the child when he started to cry.

“Your aunt left you some dinner in the oven. Kept it warm for you,” Barry said, briefly, turning his attention back to the crying child. Wally gave a little laugh and stood beside his uncle. He patted the man's shoulder and made a few faces at Don which got the child laughing.

“Ha! Uncle Wally's still got it!” he said with a smirk. Barry breathed a sigh of relief and hugged his nephew.

“Thanks Wally. Raising twins is quite a hassle,” Barry said with a laugh. Wally snickered in amusement as he pulled his dinner out of the oven and made an 'mmm' sound. An entire pepperoni, bacon, and sausage pizza, just for him.

“Thanks Aunt Iris! I'm gonna take this upstairs. Got some homework to get started,” Wally said, kissing his aunt's cheek and zipping up the stairs to his bedroom. He grabbed his bag on the way and dropped it by his door, closing the door with his foot and seating himself at his desk. He wasted no time as he started chowing down on his pizza, finishing half of it in only a few minutes before he got started on his school work.

The advantage of being a speedster meant his mind worked at the speed of sound so his homework was finished rather quickly. He didn't even need his computer! The red head stashed his work back into his bag and then woofed down the rest of his dinner, racing the tray back down to the kitchen and then zooming back upstairs, flopping down onto his bed. He heaved a contented sigh as he toed off his socks and peeled off his shirt, reclining on the bed with a yawn. He turned in his bed, eyes falling on the pictures sitting on his nightstand. On his night stand, was an alarm clock and a few picture frames; one of him and Artemis, him as Kid Flash with the Team from the old days, and one of him and-

“Dick,” Wally muttered to himself, eyeing the picture sadly as he lifted it up to get a closer look at it. The two of them were on the beach in bathing suits, Wally in his usual bright yellow swimming trunks, and Dick in a pair of blue ones. He remembered the day quite well; that was the day Dick broke Batman's rule about keeping his identity a secret, and took his sunglasses off for that one picture with Wally. Of course they had to go out of sight from the rest of the team, but Dick had insisted. Wally smiled slightly at the picture and placed it back on the nightstand. It had been six years since...since Dick died, and yet it still hurt...but the last night they spent together was...special. 

But the picture also brought back memories he wished he could've forgotten. Namely, his best friend's funeral...

_When he first got the news, he had been devastated. The news came only a week after Dick had left on Bruce on a mission over in Europe. He cried for a while, with Barry and Iris doing their best to sooth him. He lost more than just a friend that day. He wasn't sure because he never got the chance, but he felt like he and Dick could've been...more than friends._

_But then came the funeral. Or rather, funerals, plural. Wally stared blankly at the casket holding his best friend's body as it was lowered into the grave, the second funeral he'd attended in the last week. The League had held a memorial service of their own, for Robin, and a hologram of the teen hero had been put up in the cave in honor of him. Wally mourned his loss with the rest of the team. The loss hit them especially hard. They may not have known Robin's true identity, but he was their friend. They were more than friends, they were family._

_And so there he stood, broken inside, blank faced as he watched the casket descend. Hundreds of people showed up to the funeral; friends, family, acquaintances and more. James Gordon consoled his daughter as she cried in his arms and even Clark had showed up at the funeral, a few tears sliding down his own face. If one knew both Dick Grayson, and Robin, you'd find it hard not to cry at such a loss. Even little Jason at only twelve years old was there. Bruce had adopted him shortly after that whole mess with the League. Apparently, he'd caught Jason stealing tires off of the Batmobile. From what he heard, he and Dick connected almost immediately, and Dick was all too happy to embrace his role as the big brother. And thus another was let in on the big secret and their little family only grew._

_Bruce, for his part, was unreadable as always, but he knew the man kept his suffering on the inside. And Alfred...Alfred made no attempt to hide his sorrow, wiping away tears with a white handkerchief. Grief hung thick in the air on all accounts...and all Wally wanted was his friend back._

Wally heaved a sigh and forced himself to look away from the picture and instead turned the TV on. The first thing that came on his TV was the news, specifically a developing story about a new vigilant that had shown up in Gotham a few days ago, calling himself the “Red Hood”.

From what they were saying, it was hard to tell if the Red Hood was a Crime Lord or a hero; he led his own gangs against Black Mask and crime was going down, but he was also brutal and unforgiving. They showed some aerial footage a helicopter cam had captured of Batman chasing down a man in a red mask. Wally frowned as he watched it, the man's acrobatic skills bringing back old memories. Memories of Dick. Few people possessed Dick's level of acrobatic skill; whoever this “Red Hood” was, he was good. Watching Batman chased him down, Wally imagined a red, black and yellow clad teenage hero alongside him; Robin. The first face that came to mind was, obviously, Dick's. Jason had taken Dick's place as Robin, not that it had been easy. From what Jason had told him, it took six solid months of training, in self defense, Forensic Science, escapology, and more, before Bruce even _considered_ letting Jason take up the mantle. Jason's fighting style was vastly different from Dick's. He was an aggressive fighter like Bruce, more ground-and-pound than anything else. He possessed quite the acrobatic talent, something of a requirement when working with Batman, and his parkour was impressive, but when it came to a straight up fight, Jason was more of a brawler.

The kid lacked Dick's nonchalant attitude and was more aggressive, both in fighting style and temperament, but from what his friends had told him, often (both to everyone's amusement and annoyance) cracked jokes and threw witty comments at the criminals when he fought. He kind of reminded them of Dick in that regard. Honestly, even Wally could see a bit of it in him. But what really set him apart from Dick (aside from his attitude of course) was the flirting. Wally found it endlessly amusing, and the team found it annoying at times, but Jason flirted with everyone. Guy or girl, friend or foe, it didn't matter; Jason flirted with everyone. The only saving grace, according to the team, was the fact that Jason did it at a much lesser frequency than Wally had. Filling Dick's shoes was a difficult task, to say the least, but Jason was doing a fine job, and had found a place on the team.

The boy was 16 now, and still as bratty as ever, but he was a good kid. Once again, as with Dick, Wally was the only one who knew his identity. And just like Dick, Jason wasn't overly fond of hiding his identity from his friends. He was no Dick Grayson but, temper aside, once he got to know him, Jason turned out to be a good friend. He and Jason actually spent a bit of time hanging out, when he had some free time from his studies of course. It also happened that Jason was a bit of a bookworm, or more accurately, a bibliophile. Jason had his own small library at the manor, and it was a common occurrence to find the teen with a book, whether that be at the manor or the cave.

As Wally watched the footage, he watched Bruce engaged the Red Hood. Something about it seemed...familiar...as the Red Hood dodged and deflected Batman's blows with an acrobatic grace and elegance that he hadn't seen in years. It almost reminded him of Dick. Hood's attacks were much more aggressive though, bordering on lethal; every attack seemed to be meant to cause damage and inflict harm. The footage ended when Hood disappeared inside a building with Batman giving chase.

Wally gave a yawn as sleep started to set in, flipping the TV off and falling back onto his bed. Jason would surely tell him what was going on in Gotham the next time they hung out anyway. It was a benefit of being best friends with Robin, Boy Wonder; you got the inside scoop on a lot of things both in and outside of Gotham. Wally gave another yawn, all set to fall asleep, but something caught his eye. Curious, he sat up and padded over to his dresser. Sitting there, leaning against a picture of him and Dick (as Robin in the cave) playing video games with Roy, was a blank enveloped, addressed to him but with no name on it. He opened it cautiously, that Batman paranoia having rubbed off on him a little bit over the years, and inside was a birthday card.

Wally glanced over at the calendar, quirking an eyebrow; his birthday wasn't for another month. Now thoroughly confused, he opened it and found something written in...Romani?

 _fericit ziua de naştere devreme_ (Happy Early Birthday). Wally frowned and looked further down the card. More Romani: _Dacă ai nevoie de ajutor_ (If you ever need help) followed by a...phone number? And signed _un prieten_ (a friend). Wally swore under his breath and tossed the card aside; he only knew one person who spoke Romani, so this had to be a joke. A very bad joke. Wally flopped down onto his bed and closed his eyes, leaving the card to lay on the floor, ignored.


End file.
